Collaborative Research: IRES Track I: US-Korea Collaboration on Biomimicry and Bio-inspired Fluid Flows (BIOFLOW IRES)

世界正面临着一系列重大挑战，如能源需求的快速增长和极端天气和气候条件的频繁发生。通过向大自然学习，仿生学或生物启发的工程创新具有巨大的潜力来应对这些人类挑战。仿生学的实践需要一个多元化的科学家和工程师群体，他们拥有仿生学的技术知识和跨学科，跨文化的研究经验。为了满足这一需求，BIOFLOW IRES Track-1网站为美国学生提供国际研究经验，由克利夫兰州立大学（CSU）和阿克伦大学（UA）通过与韩国浦项科技大学（POSTECH）的生物流体仿生研究中心（BBRC）的长期合作伙伴关系运营。作为韩国政府资助的国家创新研究中心，BBRC在推进自然界生物流体流动物理学知识和开发生物启发工程解决方案方面表现出色。BIOFLOW IRES项目利用生物流和仿生学专业知识，研究设施和设备的世界级资源，为18名美国学生组成的多元化团队进行创造性的生物启发研究，获得扎实的研究和沟通技能，并建立专业网络。这群学生已经做好了充分的准备，可以作为未来的领先研究人员、科学家和仿生研究和创新设计大使开始他们的职业生涯。IRES项目开辟了新的跨学科研究合作，将生物学和工程学联系起来，加强国际研究伙伴关系，并有助于提高美国劳动力在全球经济中的竞争力。BIOFLOW IRES项目旨在为未来的科学家和工程师提供全球，跨文化的视角，并通过尖端的国际研究培训，结构化的指导和网络机会提供专业成长机会。生物流体流动和仿生学的研究重点是两个互补的研究主题，以应对重大挑战：提高建筑环境的能源效率和风力恢复能力。IRES的参与者进行风洞测试，以评估垂直轴风力涡轮机的密封胡须启发涡轮机叶片的有效性，探索植物叶子的形状如何影响能量交换，并创建树状流量控制设备来抑制强风中的屋顶涡流。研究发现了生物学中生物流体流动现象的工作原理的新知识，并促进了原始工程创新，以提高能源效率和风力恢复能力。IRES学生获得先进的热/流测量，批判性思维和职业生涯建设技能的真实研究培训，受益于CSU/UA的美国实验室和韩国主机实验室BBRC的非凡资源。沿着创新研究，IRES学生参加社会和文化交流活动，以加强学生与教师，学生与导师和学生与学生的联系，为未来的合作和职业发展建立专业网络，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查进行评估，被认为值得支持的搜索.

The world is facing a wide range of grand challenges, such as the rapid growth in energy demand and more frequent extreme weather and climate conditions. By learning from Nature, Biomimicry or bio-inspired engineering innovation has great potential to address such human challenges. The practice of biomimicry requires a diverse group of scientists and engineers equipped with technical knowledge of biomimicry and interdisciplinary, cross-cultural research experience. To meet this need, the BIOFLOW IRES Track-1 site delivers international research experience to US students, operated by Cleveland State University (CSU) and University of Akron (UA) through a long-time partnership with the Biofluid & Biomimic Research Center (BBRC) at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea. As a Korean government-funded National Creative Research Center, BBRC has excelled at advancing the knowledge of bio-fluid flow physics in Nature and developing bio-inspired engineering solutions. The BIOFLOW IRES project leverages the world-class resources of bio-flow and biomimicry expertise, research facilities, and equipment for a diverse group of 18 US students to conduct creative bio-inspired research, gain solid research and communication skills, and build a professional network. This group of students is well-prepared to embark on their careers as future leading researchers, scientists, and ambassadors for biomimicry research and innovative design. The collaborative IRES project opens up new interdisciplinary research collaboration that bridge biology and engineering, strengthens international research partnerships, and contributes to enhancing the competitiveness of the US workforce in the global economy. The BIOFLOW IRES project aims to provide future scientists and engineers with a global, cross-cultural perspective, and professional growth opportunities through cutting-edge international research training, structured mentoring, and networking opportunities. Research on bio-fluid flows and biomimicry focuses on two complementary research themes addressing the Grand challenges: enhanced energy efficiency and wind resilience of the built environment. The IRES participants perform wind-tunnel tests to evaluate the effectiveness of a seal-whisker-inspired turbine blade for vertical axis wind turbines, explore how the shapes of plant leaves affect energy exchange, and create tree-like flow-control devices to suppress rooftop vortices in high winds. Research discovers new knowledge of working principles of bio-fluid flow phenomena in biology and catalyzes original engineering innovations to achieve enhanced energy efficiency and wind resilience. IRES students gain authentic research training in advanced thermal/flow measurements, critical thinking, and career-building skills benefiting from extraordinary resources at US labs of CSU/UA and the Koerean host lab BBRC. Along with innovative research, the IRES students participate in social and cultural exchange activities to enhance student-faculty, student-mentor, and student-student connection, starting a professional network for future collaboration and career development, an impact beyond the IRES program.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.